In January, the New York State Department of Health petitioned the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to allow over-the-counter sales of nicotine replacement therapies (NRT) in all retails locations where cigarettes are sold. The petition attempts to allow easier access to nicotine products that have proven effective in helping smokers quit. The American Legacy Foundation^® applauds the New York State Department of Health for taking a leadership role in this important issue.

The American Legacy Foundation has long recommended that smokers who want to increase their odds of success in quitting should make a plan, set a date, and talk with their physician to seek counsel on nicotine replacement medications that will work best for them. Ending nicotine addiction is difficult and smoking cessation medications such as nicotine replacement therapies - like the patch, lozenge, gum or inhaler - taken individually or in combination can prove remarkably helpful in minimizing cravings for nicotine while smokers work to quit.

There are 45 million Americans who smoke and, each year, 70 percent report that they want to quit. Each smoker works to do so differently; the average former smoker makes eight to 11 attempts to quit. One barrier to quitting is the lack of access to nicotine replacement therapies. New York State's petition to the FDA can help provide easier access to these medications in packages that are comparable in price to cigarettes, and also provide accurate information about the risks and benefits of NRTs relative to continued smoking.

No matter how smokers choose to quit, it is ultimately one of the single most important lifestyle changes they can make to improve and extend their lives. Tobacco-related death is the leading causes of preventable death in the U.S. Smokers need to be armed with all the available information to make the best, most informed choices about the smoking cessation medications available to them.